Swindon home care provider receives top rating from industry inspectors

Swindon’s First City Nursing has received a rating of Outstanding from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC regularly inspects every organisation that delivers care across the country to report on the quality of care given and this week has upgraded First City Nursing from Good to Outstanding.

It is extremely rare for a large care at home organisation like First City Nursing to achieve an Outstanding rating. A recent report published by Skills for Care confirmed that only 2% of all regulated care providers, which includes care homes and care at home providers, achieve an overall Outstanding rating.

The CQC report graded First City as Outstanding overall, with Outstanding in their ratings of the service provided being responsive and well-led, and a good rating for the services being safe, effective and caring.

The report highlights a number of aspects of the care and management of the business for the benefit of those in the town who require additional help and support in their lives.  First City Nursing was described as an ‘important part of the local community’ with a ‘drive for excellence’ that ‘demonstrated their responsiveness on a more strategic level that positively affected the local community and the local health services’.

First City Nursing’s nursing staff were also praised through the report for their commitment for going the extra mile, their skills in recognising an individual’s needs and wishes and being empowered to suggest new ways of working and the use of technology for the benefit of improving quality of life.

First City Nursing recently became the Lead Provider for home care delivery in Swindon, working together with other providers on behalf of Swindon Borough Council.  Additionally, the company is working in partnership with the local authority,  Clinical Commissioning Groups, third sector organisations like Age UK Wiltshire, technology providers and others to create a sustainable local care and support system which can support the growing number of people who need to access care and support services.

Stephen Trowbridge, Managing Director of First City Nursing, said: “We’re so pleased to have received this Outstanding rating.  However we’re still looking at ways that we can improve the quality and types of services we provide and our focus is, as always, on continual improvement.

“As the CQC report shows, it is our staff who make a difference and without them we wouldn’t be able to provide the quality of service that we provide.  I truly believe that we have the best care staff in Wiltshire, if not the whole of the UK and that is down to their professionalism, caring nature and excellent values that we look for through the recruitment process.  When we look for new staff we don’t look just for experience but for the person to really care about improving the lives of people across Swindon.  

“Innovation in care is something we are all passionate about too.  Earlier this year we were appointed as the Lead Provider by Swindon Borough Council for all home care services and this has given us the opportunity to change and innovate so that people’s goals are met in how they want to live their lives.  This has enabled us to work alongside great partners in the town, across the public, private and voluntary sectors, to make the approach to care work as a jigsaw, with the person at the centre.  

“The care sector is often overlooked and at times it can feel as if attention is only on negative stories.   However what’s happening in Swindon could be used to reshape the social care system for the future.”

For more information on First City Nursing, visit www.firstcitynursing.co.uk or call 01793 434222